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Moffat Makes the Doctor’s Sonic Sunglasses Sound Cool!

When the Doctor… er, “loaned” his sonic screwdriver to Davros in “The Magician’s Apprentice,” he relieved himself of his trademark instrument — and that had to be replaced. Enter: the sonic sunglasses, a hopped-up, high-tech version of Ray-Ban Wayfarers.

Fan reaction was predictable: This was the end of the world! Showrunner Steven Moffat — frequent target of fan venom for shaking up the status quo — sent more people running for the hills than the Untempered Schism ever did.

“As of now, every kid with glasses is Doctor Who! Kids whose parents don’t want to shell out for a sonic screwdriver toy — just put on a pair of sunglasses, you’re Doctor Who! And best of all, every pin-brained celebrity walking into a party with shades on is now cosplaying Doctor Who! If it pricks the pomposity of ubercelebs and turns an eye defect into a super power and confers star-magic on an old pair of sunglasses — what could be more Doctor Who than that?”

This idea also dovetails nicely with Peter Capaldi’s wish that his Doctor’s costume be easy for children to imitate. He wanted everyone to be able to cosplay the Doctor easily and inexpensively.

Nevertheless, the sonic sunglasses still may not be long for the Whoniverse, with Moffat telling that same crowd:

“I know there’s a petition to get rid of the glasses. I think it’s going to be a very successful petition. I love the fact that people have risen up in anger over the sonic screwdriver. God knows how that lot would have got on when they introduced regeneration, or that Time Lords have two hearts.”

Personally, I’d like to see the Doctor take a break from using the sonic every chance he gets. I think it’s become too much of a crutch and the Time Lord needs to dump it for a while and learn to get along without it.